The Beginning of Redemption
by ForgottenRomeo
Summary: As punishment for his actions in Manhattan, Loki has been sent as a child to New York. A certain school for witchcraft and wizardry located on the wrong side of the Atlantic notices his uncanny reserve of magic and sends him a letter of acceptance. When Loki has come and gone, Hogwarts will be left wondering what happened. [Kid!Loki]
1. Chapter 1

Following the events of Loki creating havoc one busy afternoon in New York, Tony Stark adopted six more people into his small family under his roof.

The rest of the Avengers were simple and reasonable. Nick Fury, their supposed director, wanted his team under one roof in case an emergency as fantastical as Loki's happens again and he needs a group of extraordinary misfits to solve his problem. Since Stark Tower is the only building that has more than enough rooms (floors- Tony Stark gave them a floor each) to spare, it is rationally so that they all bunk in there. It was like a permanent sleepover party for the team without the drinking and the movies. Besides, Thor did not 'sleep' in as usual except when he misses Jane Foster or his brother.

His brother, however, had been an entirely different matter. Weeks after the disaster, Thor came up to his door one day with a half-terrified half-confused nine-year old Loki, begging them to take care of the poor shivering child. He told them that his father almighty sees fit that Loki's punishment will be exile as a child in the realm he caused much damage. It would have been Asgard, had he not live there all his life, but he did so Midgard would be the next best choice.

Clint Barton was quick to disagree, however. They cannot be babysitters of the world's most wanted villain. They are superheroes. Stark and Natasha Romanoff couldn't quite agree otherwise either. But when Pepper Potts saw the child, innocent of the pain he'd caused, almost sincerely asking for forgiveness, she decided that she wanted to raise him properly. Banner and Rogers sided with Potts.

"I have as much as rights as you do in decision making, Tony," she said. "We are going to raise this child as properly as possible to be a contributing citizen to Earth."

When Stark tried to argue more, Thor beseeched. Now who could refuse those large puppy baby blue eyes?

This happened two years ago.

And Odin proved himself to be wiser than what meets the eyes. Midgard's superheroes learned the value of second chances and Loki learned that Odin was really the one at fault by raising him hating his own kind... and that Midgardians are not made to be ruled, of course.

Loki is now an eleven-year old and as behave as ever. Pepper Potts has been a good foster mother. The rest were trying at first, awkwardly and grudgingly, but soon those feelings faded. It was getting harder and harder to hold up a grudge against a kid who smiles ever so cutely until all they saw was the child Loki could have been.

Hawkeye was last to let his guard down.

He still does what he wants. He is a trickster by nature, but, then again, so is Tony. They've had Trickster Wars quite a few times, which were smiled and frowned upon at the same time by the non-participants. The only difference now are the tricks and pranks are not as ill-mannered and evil-driven as before and that they are all directed towards Tony. Pepper and Natasha didn't have to worry about their hair being cut, thankfully. He still lies, only to get himself out of trouble. But as far as lying is concerned, everyone does. Especially Tony.

Another thing the Avenger couldn't change was Loki's use of the English vocabulary. He refused to speak American slang and stayed as formal and as ancient as before. His adorable accent was never gone, too.

They tried to get him to school but his intellect sent most of his teachers crying of shame and at least half a dozen counselors begging to quit their job. The kid knows even more than me, one counselor admitted. Pepper merely gave him an earful talk about how incapable he is that he cannot contain a child. Steve suggested that Loki be provided a library and learn on his own.

No more than a month later, Loki had been helping Bruce with astrophysics and genetics, solving complicated universal mysteries, and making his very own mini remote-controlled Ironman figurine that actually flies and shoots whatever it shoots. Much to the Avengers' surprise, he was barely a teenager.

That was the time when Tony Stark did believe that Loki grew up as a better citizen.

Natasha only scoffed at idea. "Loki had been spending too much time with Ironman."

To which Stark replied, very maturely sticking his tongue out, "You're only jealous because Little Loki favored me instead of Black Widow."

Loki is, indeed, a very talented child. And, he knows it enough not to brag about it (with the exception of quips Loki shares with Barton and Stark.) He possesses so much talent that one fine morning an owl banged right on the Tower's unsuspecting window.

The sound was quick. When their attention caught, there were no more than dusts on the window. Tony made a mental note to ask Jarvis to clean it later.

Natasha, who was preparing sandwiches, opened the window slowly as the rest of the Avengers prepared for battle. It might have been nothing, but it wouldn't help to let your guard down. Even Loki was in his battle stance, a butter knife in hand.

A few seconds passed. Nothing happened.

Tony had to ask, "Jarvis, status?"

An elegant male voice with a more handsome accent spoke out of nowhere. "It seems like a bird hit the window, sir."

"A bird?" He repeated dumbly. His question was answered when something very white shot through the open window and landed on the table, completely disrupting their merry breakfast.

Natasha closed the window. All held breathes were relieved.

It was definitely a bird, white with a few dark spots and fat with feathers. It struggled to its feet for a moment. An act like that most probably addled its wits. The Avengers gave it a minute. When it finally regained its balance, the bird then stared at Loki, and, as if curious, cocked its head sideways.

Clint was the one who broke the silence. "What kind of creative scheme does our enemy have planned now?"

"Jarvis, I don't remember ordering a fowl for breakfast." Tony just really has to say something. Loki rolled his eyes. Only fools do that.

"I don't think owls are even edible," Dr. Banner said. "But we could try, at least."

His suggestion mortified the group for a minute. Even the owl broke its eye contact with Loki to glare at Bruce. And if Jarvis was also shocked, he did not comment.

It was a joke none of them expected coming from the big guy.

Steve carefully lifted the bird from the table. He inspected it as animal-friendly as his hands can inspect. When he felt something tied to its foot, the owl was relieved of its burden and a rolled piece of parchment was removed. The soldier gave the owl tentatively to Loki as he tried to open the letter.

Alright, there were two pieces of paper.

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," the letter said with an elaborate dark blue font. "Dear Mr. Laufeyson."

The rest of the group could only look at Steve, dumbfounded, as he read.

Even Loki stopped petting the owl.

Then it struck him.

An owl sending letters in broad daylight!

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A/N: Sorry about that. I didn't notice. I will appreciate all reviews :)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Breakfast continued smoothly. There were no other cases of tresspassing birds and no one bothered to know what happened to the first bird that hit the window. Now, the Avengers left Loki in Jarvis' care in the living room to think about the letter alone. They will discuss the news with Nick Fury, Loki thought, and the director will not like it.

Fury never concerned himself with anything Loki-related. He always tell Tony Stark to do as he wants with the child as long as Loki makes no mischief, commits no murder, and touches not Shield's monetary funds. Thankfully, Odin is kind enough to send Thor every midgard-month to bring gold coins for Loki's expenses. But the coins, when converted to US dollars, were always too much. In a few years time, Loki will be rich enough to buy his own stock of pop tarts for the next 100 years and he hasn't even legally worked yet.

Loki watched the owl sleeping in peace. After breakfast, it flew from his company to perch on one of the fake trees that adorn the living room and slept. It wasn't the weirdness of owls delivering mails in the morning that bothered him. Some owls are diurnal, after all, although he was quite sure this species isn't one of them. What bothers him was the manner of the delivering itself. He'd been staying in Midgard for two midgard-years now and he was familiar of the way Midgardians send their letters. It is by bird posts no longer.

The mortals developed a system called e-mail and texting. Instead of ink and parchment, this system sends signals from a device called a computer to another. Science, Bruce Banner said rather proudly. Mortal magic was what Loki understood.

And now, a possible group of mortals who call themselves wizards and witches uses an obsolete style of training birds to send their letters for them and inviting him to their school somewhere in the United Kingdoms. If they really are a magical species of humans, why can't they teleport their letters themselves and save the birds from banging closed windows?

In his youth (not that he is not a kid now), he spent days and nights reading in the Royal Library about magic of different races, learning them, mastering them until his magic is second to none in the Nine Realms. He became so powerful he frightened the children of his age and their mothers.

But he had never encountered any passages about Midgardians using magic. There had been accounts of wizards and witches in Midgard's history but there were no actual proofs that they can control energies Banner's science could not.

This could be his sole opportunity to learn anew and unravel their secrets. If they are this successful hiding away from Odin's eye for thousands of years, then it is worth the time and trouble.

 _They are mortals, you fool! You will not stoop as low as barbaric rats, much less learn from them. They will kneel before you. They are beneath you! They are nothing! You already are the Nine Realm's most powerful sorcerer. You need knowledge no more. They need to die-_

Loki abandoned his idea.

When the meeting was finally adjourned, Tony Stark only knew one thing. They will let Loki decide. He was able to convince Nick Fury to allow Loki to attend Hogwarts, had Loki wish, with his ever-so charming persuasive skills.

… and with Captain America's ever-so concerned opinion that Loki needs to go to school like every child.

Which school would Loki most probably fit in?

Hogwarts, Tony didn't trust the school nor the staff. For all he knows, this is just a scheme of their enemy to take their little magician in hostage. Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall; funny names these magical people call their things.

And owls? Oh dear, who uses owls this days? What happened to good modern technology?

But not even their furious Daddy Fury can resist the Captain's honesty and innocence that they just all agreed no matter how suspicious the circumstance is.

A few years ago, Tony didn't believe in magic. Even now, he wished all these were just a dream and he's just waiting to wake up soon. Sooner.

Bruce headed back to his laboratory, Clint and Natasha went to their usual hiding places, and Pepper returned to managing Tony's financial issues. It was up to Steve to tell Loki about the meeting's conclusion. Tony went with him so he could play with Loki afterwards.

"Hey, Loki." He was watching TV when Steve arrived in the living room, Tony in his wake. "Nick Fury allowed you to go as long as-"

"I will stay," Loki said, almost abruptly. He didn't even turn to look at Steve. "I will not go."

Tony couldn't hide his surprise. He almost dropped the wine glass he'd been always holding. He was pretty sure he saw the glee and pleading eyes in Loki's face after Steve read the letter. What happened now?

Steve sat beside him and ruffled Loki's slick black hair. "Why not? You were so happy about it less than an hour ago."

Loki did not answer. He merely pushed Steve's hand off with an irritated grunt and shot him a glare. The captain left him alone.

"What's wrong with him?" He asked Tony who shrugged in return.

"He's nearing teenage years." Tony took a sip from his wine glass. "Maybe even gods have their cranky adolescent days." He and Bruce should really take a study on alien physiology.

Before Steve could reply, Jarvis pinged. "You have a visitor, sir, by the name of Albus Dumbledore."

Tony and Steve exchanged glances for a full minute.

"Hold my crap, capsickles." Tony gave his now empty wine glass to Steve. "Alert the group. I don't trust magical dudes."

"Ah, neither do we." Steve giggled. Captain giggled? If this was really a dream, Tony begged to be awaken now. "Maybe except for the big guy with the hammer."

"If you don't believe him, he'll smash you." With that, Tony had taken the elevator towards the ground floor. Steve left to inform the group. Loki turned the TV off and spiked his hearing to eavesdrop a conversation several hundred feet below him.

"If Thor doesn't smash us all," Tony murmured to himself as the elevator descendes. "Then widdle baby brother will kill us all."

Merlin bless his soul, Albus Dumbledore was everything Tony Stark expected him to be. Ancient, Santa Claus, and dull party hat. All check. Tony couldn't believe himself.

"Mr. Stark," Dumbledore started. How this Merlin look alike know his name Tony didn't bother. It must have been a magic thing. Seeing the names of the people you talk to above their heads. He watched a series about it with Loki. The aftermath was horrible.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Greetings, Lord Wise Old Wizard," he said awkwardly.

Dumbledore paced across the lobby. No, there were no chairs in the lobby and Tony didn't even invite the man somewhere more comfortable. The wizard didn't seem to mind, however. "I am here to answer all questions regarding magic, wizards and witches, and everything in between."

"Jarvis, you know what to do." Tony walked casually towards the wine rack he has in almost every room and prepared himself another glass. "I'm no magic expert. Why don't we take it from the top, Sir Gandalf?"

Dumbledore explained everything briefly from the past to current events (that includes telling Tony that his name is not Gandalf). Tony was barely listening; Jarvis was recording their conversation anyway. He did occasionally understood some things accidentally like the four houses inside the school, Harry Potter, hog's mead, some diagonal street, and another school here in New York.

"Tell me," Tony interrupted. Has he any respect for this guy? He's Ironman. This guy is Gandalf, Harry Potter is most probably his Frodo. They're not even in the same book. "If there is a school of wizardry in New York, why would we want our pipsqueak to study in yours?"

The understanding smile on Dumbledore's face unnerved Tony. "The Ministry of Magic observed an abundant amount of power in Loki, Mr. Stark. They see fit that the child study under my counsel."

Ah, so Loki will be Frodo.

"Also," Dumbledore continued, the smile Tony thought will forever haunt him was gone. "There is a threat of the Dark Lord returning. A power that strong will not go unnoticed. The Dark Lord will seek a man of great possession to serve him."

He knew Sauron will be in the story somewhere. But Loki a servant of Sauron? Tony bet his fortunes and his rear end Loki will not bow to a pathetic magical Midgardian that easily with or without conditions.

"Hogwarts will protect him."

Avengers will protect him by a cross-species oath.

It took half an hour of fiddling with his wineglass before their merry chitchat ended. They will have to review the tapes later. So far, according to Jarvis' examination, Gandalf hadn't lie about anything. He is Gandalf, Harry Potter is Frodo, Loki is Aragorn, and You-know-who is Sauron. Together they authored a book entitled The Lord of the Wand. Tony can't wait to read it.

Just as Dumbledore left, Loki appeared by the elevator, angry and panting. Steve came with him, in half a costume and sporting a don't-ask-me face.

"That is preposterous!" Loki exclaimed, pointing at Dumbledore's wake. "The norns destined me that title and it is mine to proclaim my own. I will let no Midgardian parade along the streets bearing it. I am THE Dark Lord!"

Tony shrugged. So maybe Loki isn't Aragorn. A cute looking Gollum, perhaps? The title is their one ring. "Whatcha gonna do about it?"

Loki composed himself and tried to appear evil. To no avail, of course. In Tony's eyes, Loki is still cute. "I will kill this impostor and reclaim my title."

Oops, wrong question asked.

That is how Tony found himself in a private flight towards London the morning after. Steve was there as a symbol of peace and Pepper and Natasha were there to go shopping.

"Also, I am no pipsqueak."

"You are. Look at you, not even half of me."

"I tower over you when-"

"When we last kick your ass?"

Loki would have groaned but instead, he laughed when Tony earned a look of disappointment from Steve.

"Watch your words, Stark."

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 **A/N: Thank you to all those who reviewed and followed and liked. I love you all so much 3** Truth to be told, this was made back in 2013. I never got around to post it. Hu hu.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

They were told to meet a man in front of an old shop on Charing Cross Road.

Steve and Loki half-pulled half-dragged the protesting Tony through the streets of London while Natasha and Pepper went shopping in the more opulent side of the city. Tony offered to come with them but Pepper cut him off by saying "girls only". It wouldn't do good to act like a petulant child but Tony couldn't help it. He grew up spoiled.

True to words, waiting in front of the oldest, most suspicious boutique along the Charing Cross was a giant.

Tony suddenly stopped protesting. He should be used to these kind of gigantic things by now. Point Break and Mean Green are huge but they're not exactly normal humans (nor really human because Thor is a god). This dude, however, is very much a human but a very very large human at that. Tony nodded, he must be a wrestler. A suplex from a guy like him would definitely break any man's backbone.

What is a suplex anyway?

"Here's lil' Loki," the giant said. At least his voice isn't booming unlike Thor's. How he knew this kid's Loki, Tony never bothered knowing. "Been waitin' fer yeh fer 'bout an hour. Dumbledore told me yeh'll come."

The trio was too shocked to reply. They stood there gaping at the man.

"Well, c'mon." The giant ushered them inside. "We've got no time fer starin'."

"Oh no, wrestler man." Tony didn't like old abandoned dirty shops only because he's spoiled. "I'm not going in there."

"Oh right." The giant nodded. "Muggles can't see the Leaky Cauldron. Yeh can see it, Loki?"

Loki nodded. He must've noticed that but kept quiet. Instead, Loki asked. "Who are you?"

"Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Ground of Hogwarts. Nice meetin' yeh, lil' Loki." He held out his hand towards Loki but the Asgardian dismissed him. He didn't appreciate being called little.

Steve took his hand, embarrassed by his companions' attitude. Hagrid then shook his whole arm gladly.

"Sorry, he doesn't greet like that." America's best captain supplied awkwardly. "I'm Steve and this is Tony. We're uncles of Loki."

"Rubeus, I believe we've been idle long enough," Loki interrupted. "The Leaky Cauldron will now be of no worry."

Tony then noticed that the broken down shop turned into a small, stinky pub. Before he could decide which was worse, Steve was already dragging him farther inside.

Hagrid, sensing no apparent changes, continued walking.

"What'd you do, kiddo?" He heard Steve whispered.

"A spell to reveal things hidden by magic," Loki said nonchalantly, not bothering to whisper at all. "We have no more than four hours of your time to finish our business before the spell melts your eyes."

The superheroes looked horrified and betrayed.

"I jest." The boy, however, only found it humorous.

At the back of the pub was an alley lined by a wall. Hagrid tapped his umbrella on a brick that looked more scratched than its neighbors. Then he began counting, tapping onto the adjacent brick, like a pattern.

The wall wriggled and rumbled, opening a doorway dramatically towards Diagon Alley.

"Welcome to the world of-"

"Warcraft," Tony muttered, obviously uninterested.

"You play that?" Steve asked.

"Nope. Fury's men do."

The alley was bright but just as smelly and crowded as the pub. Guessing by the architectural design, this place hasn't been contaminated by modern technology and will not be for long. Tony wasn't even sure he wanted to pursue this "operation: buy Loki's school supplies" but he had no choice in the matter. He followed Steve and Loki who looked like they've seen an amazing parallel universe, wishing they sent Loki to a local private non-magical school instead.

Shops lined around, busting with people like the last minutes of Christmas shopping. Tony didn't like crowds whose attention isn't focused on him. All stores looked somewhat larger inside and boasted of new products like newt eyes, flying broomsticks, and other items Tony was still working on believing. It's like a wizard Chinatown.

Although, he could use those flying broomsticks for Dumb-e to play with.

They continued towards a huge white building called Gringotts, a wizarding bank run, oddly enough, by goblins that loomed among the other small buildings. The awkward gang of four walked as calmly as they could along the great marble hall. Well maybe too calmy as the working goblins raised their tiny pointed heads and eyed them warily.

"We would like ter open an account fer Mister Loki Laufeyson," Hagrid said to the free goblin behind the farthest counter from the door.

"Amount, sir?"

Ah, money talks. This is Tony's area. "Half a million US dollars from Loki's account in JPmorgan."

"That will be sixty eight thousand galleons," the goblin replied, after some clicking from a calculator. "Your vault will be in 1256. Here's your key."

Tony took the key and pocketed it. "Also we would like to exchange ten thousand us dollars into uhh... gallons."

"Galleons."

"Galleons, right."

The gang left the bank with Tony's pockets full of coins.

A routine of going from store to store picking up supplies went uneventful, except the bookstore where Steve's eyes shone like the morning star when he saw a book about the first wizarding war. It's like the First World War, only magical and not comprising the whole world.

The moving measuring tape at Madam Malkin's Robe Shop unnerved the muggles while it seemed to bore Loki out. Asgard must have used the same equipment to make Loki's armor and princely clothes. Tony shivered. Jarvis takes body measurements faster and it doesn't even involve any touching.

"Could you add some green trimming?" Steve asked Madam Malkin. "A dark green tint perhaps?"

Tony raised an eyebrow at the captain's fashion sense. Steve shot him a concerned look and whispered.

"My guardian does not approve of me wearing all black no matter the situation." Loki explained.

"Yeah, Pep will be very much displeased." Tony nodded. It was true. Pepper doesn't allow Loki wearing emo-style all-black clothes. Too dark, she says. Loki isn't a villain any more.

Steve's innocent charm made the woman too happy that she agreed instantly. Hagrid didn't speak a word either.

Their last stop was Ollivander's. Steve asked Hagrid's company to buy a surprise gift for Loki so Tony was alone with the kid in front of the wand shop.

Loki was scowling. "I haven't had the chance to use a wand before."

"Yeah, then what about your glow stick of destiny?" Tony mused. Both of them stared at the front door of the shop for the longest time. Somehow, entering an unknown dwelling without Steve or Hagrid scared them.

"That was a scepter and it was lent."

Ollivander's was a fragile-looking battered wand shop. It was empty except for the shelves casing hundreds of rectangular boxes, unclean and rickety. Tony made a mental note to donate at least a couple of charities to help the wand shop stand for quite a few more hundred years. A gust of wind might blow it away.

"Good morning," said a soft voice, seemingly out of nowhere. An old giddy man from behind the shelves appeared. "Loki Laufeyson. You're quite a strange child, aren't you." It wasn't a question.

Tony will never really know how these wizards know their names.

"Dumbledore told me you'll come." Now where had he heard that statement before? "Albus Dumbledore, willow, phoenix feather, twelve and three quarter inches. Oh, I knew he's a special one from the moment he came through that door."

"You remember?" Loki asked. "Older than Dumbledore, I see."

"Yes, child." He giggled. "I am older than I look."

The billionaire scoffed. Loki is as old as the dinosaurs.

"Come step forward. Let's look for your wand."

Loki carefully picked his way towards the counter, glancing back at Tony a couple of times. Ollivander handed him a wooden stick.

"Hazel, Dragon Heartstring, ten inches, quite firm."

Loki took the wand and eyed it hopelessly. All this shopping was getting tedious and was exhausting him.

"Well, give it wave!"

He waved the wand. The glass windows behind him shattered one by one. He jumped.

 _God of destruction, aren't you, cheeky brat? You have no time for this!_

He dismissed the voice as Ollivander gave him another set.

"Try this. Ash, unicorn hair, thirteen inches." Part of the wall near him collapsed. "The wand chooses you, boy. Hickory, dragon heart string, nine inches. You will know if it's right when it comes."

The old man's smile widened as a rumbling sound of something expensive shattering was heard behind one of the shelves. On it went for what seemed like hours. Ollivander will hand a wand over to Loki. Loki will wave it and slowly destroy the shop. Loki was even past the point of doubt that Ollivander doesn't know what he was doing and that he's just giving out random boxes.

Tony thought he would have to give the charity to fix whatever damage Loki had done to shop.

But the man's toothy grin only grew wider and wider.

"Powerful evil little wizard, you are, my friend!" He cheered. "Very tricky, very challenging! How about this?"

 _He called you his friend and yet he called you evil._

Soon, a shelf was completely out of boxes and the pile of discarded ones already made a hill beside him. Somehow, it disheartened the Asgardian. He was after all immortal and wands such as these were just not made for him.

"Cedar, phoenix feather, ten and a half inches." Ollivander hadn't given up.

Loki, tired and desperate to go home, gave it a weak flick. Somehow, the wand felt more fitting than the previous ones, firmer despite his exhaustion. To his relief, the familiar spark of magic rushed from the corners of his mind, out of the dull tip, and exploded into sparkling green and gold fireworks. The magic that blossomed was definitely familiar and yet strange at the same time.

He looked back at Tony, hoping to receive a look of approval. What he got was a funny look of amazement. An equal substitute. He saw Steve and Hagrid outside the shattered window with the same wide-eye open-mouth expression. He allowed himself to smile.

"Wonderful! Excellent!" Ollivander clapped. He waved his own wand to restore the shop's grandeur. They paid him and left.

"You will never fool a cedar carrier." He heard Ollivander whisper. Loki looked back just in time to see the old man wink at him.

 _Cannot be fooled, eh? Of course not, you're the card master of a deck full of fools._

Steve, who was holding two cages, gave the black cat to Loki. "Congratulations, kiddo. It's supposed to be a cat but Hagrid here kept telling me it's something more than that."

"Kneazles," Hagrid nodded. "More smarter than a bunch o'cats. Magical feline compared ter cats, rare black ones too."

"This other one will be our personal owl post," Steve declared, raising the bird cage to eye level. "So we can send Loki letters during school days. We're calling him Owleye."

Tony glared at the bird. The old school idea still didn't sit well with him. Also, Owleye? What kind of name is that?

Oh wait-

"I see what you did there," he laughed.

The cat stiffly wrapped its paws around Loki's neck and shivered. Loki giggled. He got a scaredy cat! "Ikol! That will be its name!"

Tony giggled at cuteness. "Narcistic little brat, ain't he?"

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A/N: Hello! I'm still a little bit shy about posting. Hu hu. But I'm glad about the love you give. Bless you all.

Is it good? Is it bad? Please read and review! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The trip back to Tony's English mansion was full of awe and excitement for Steve and Loki. Somehow both of them managed to be childish and cute while Tony sulked by the window. Loki knew the man of iron didn't appreciate a magical human race that completely neglected technology. And for all they know, this new Lord of Chaos will try to bring about his own army and seize control of realm... Again.

Loki shrugged. Thor will never let that happen. Again. But just in case, the younger god will be on his side, fighting along with his brother.

That didn't change the desire to reclaim his title. Lord of Chaos was him. Or at least, the Norns said so.

Stark Mansion in England is very English, indeed. The structure and the design were based on Victorian style architecture, a red-bricked small manor in the heart of a forest, complete with its own tower, an underground dungeon, and maze garden. The interior was no different. Furniture was commonly gold-plated wood, the floor was marble, and the walls were dark bricks. It almost reminded Loki of the palace back in Asgard, where everything was gold.

Tony went straight ahead towards the dungeon, which was air-conditioned and modified to fit a mini workshop. Steve and Loki played in the child's room (the two didn't know why there was even a playroom), practicing magic spells. Loki was surprise Captain America was even interested. For mortals, magic is no more than a childhood fantasy. Steve is by no means a child. But Loki couldn't really blame the soldier.

"Printed GIFs," Loki giggled when he saw the newspaper. "And here we thought they hadn't seen a PC before. Stark will be amazed to see this."

The child was about to go see Tony but the captain took the Daily Prophet from his hands. "I'll do it. I know you want to study the spells alone." He winked and left.

Loki watched the door click in front of him. He didn't really want to study the spells. Chances were he already knows how to cast most of these, if not all, in a different and/or more complex way. But now that the captain was gone, he was free to do the darker, more arcane spells, the spells no pathetic Midgardian sorcerer thought a child could do.

The god was however not a child. Hogwarts doesn't have to know that though.

When the god was banished after the NY Catastrophe, Odin cast Loki to Earth as a child with magic and some memories still intact. The only catch was he must behave (that is not killing anyone, directly or indirectly, by any means, unless permitted) else the Alfather will take away his ability to speak. It may seem a gentle punishment considering the lives he took but, to Loki, it was the harshest punishment he could get. Imagine a life with no silver-tongue and no breathe over lips. Without his voice, he would rather die.

He frowned slightly. He doesn't want to relive that time when... oh, never mind..

Thor, not knowing where to take his brother to be cared, brought the de-aged god under the Avengers' watch.

Speaking of Thor, Jarvis alarmed that the god of thunder arrived at the gardens. Loki hurried towards the place, his wizard hat on his head and wand on his hand, his black cat in tow. Sometimes he hated that he unconsciously act his Midgardian age.

"Brother!" Thor's thunder-like voice boomed. He caught Loki's miniature frame with his arms and ruffled the younger god's hair. "How do you fair?"

"I'm well, Thor," Loki giggled.

The Alfather also suppressed Loki's harmful and destructive emotions, much to Thor's delight. For the first few months, the de-aged Loki was hard to contain. He kept bringing up his anger forcefully but he gave up soon. His mood swings gradually improved and his self-made barrier crumbled. This doesn't help him be honest though.

At least, no more 'I'm not your brother' for quite some time. And, he'd been doing a lot more giggling than normal.

Thor ruffled his brother's hair. "I brought good news, brother!"

"Can't it wait 'til we're inside?"

And so they went inside the mansion where Tony and Steve are waiting with pizza and some drinks. The girls were still out, wasting their time on shopping and spending Tony's money. The house was to the three and a half men's alone.

Thor raised his glass as if on triumph of a hunt well done. "For Asgard!"

The other two men raised theirs and the sound of glass clashing was heard. "For Middle Earth!" Tony screamed with equal enthusiasm.

Loki was sitting on the sofa, not quite so merry. Pepper forbade him to drink anything Tony drinks, including alcohol, soft drinks and coffee, until he turned legal. They are not healthy, she reasoned. The older-looking man was greatly offended. The man of iron complained that Loki was, as far as they're concerned, already legal.

But Pepper Potts's words are absolute, no matter who actually owns the mansion, and that was that.

The mini-god charily sipped his glass of strawberry milk and grudgingly gnawed his fair slice of pizza.

Tony noticed the hard angry look on his rather soft features. The billionaire decided to taunt the poor boy further. "Is little Loki-boy not allowed to drink like a man?"

If Loki's glare could bore holes, Tony would have a clean one in between his eyes.

"God of lies wants to get drunk like adults too?"

He earned a nice elbow to the sides from Steve for that.

"Please, Tony. Don't be such a child."

But the warning was lost to him. He watched as the frown of Loki's face turned into an evil, malicious, vampire smirk. It wasn't as scary as the smile of the one who threw him out the window, but earthgard be damned if that didn't give him the shivers.

The moment passed and the smirk faded into the indifferent look Loki always wore. The god took another bite as if nothing had happened.

Tony swallowed a mouthful of wine in desperate attempt to forget what just happened and found that the liquid he just swallowed didn't taste anything like alcohol. In fact, the taste was almost like-

Oh that little shit.

"I will retire now to my quarters and have advance lessons on... Herbology," Loki said, nonchalantly. He placed the empty glass on the table and was gone.

That night, when Tony thought to sneak a glass or two, he discovered that every alcoholic drink he tried to drink turn into chocolate milk.

Days that turned into weeks passed, the time of Loki's departure came so quickly Thor almost - almost - shed a tear had Loki not smack the back of his head. The whole gang of superheroes were in London now, trying to find station nine and three quarters before the train took its leave. They had been searching for an hour to no avail. Fortunately, Thor's godly ears picked-up a red-haired family and one black member talking about the very same station.

They followed the family as discreetly as a whole group of superheroes could until they reached station 9 and 10. There was a pregnant pause as they all watched three of the red-haireds and the black-haired run towards the post and disappear.

None of the non-magical folk batted an eye apart from the Avengers.

Loki couldn't believe it as well. He was used to extraordinary ways of entering and exiting places. In fact, he can walk through walls when he wishes to. But entering a wall and expecting yourself to be in another realm was quite something. "I am supposed to go into that, not through, correct?"

"It seems so," Thor said, still staring at station nine and three quarters.

"That is the most ridiculous way I've ever seen. Even Loki's entrance through the Tesseract couldn't beat that!" Everyone just gave Tony a sigh.

Thor kneeled on one knee in front of his little brother. "Will you be well alone?"

"Thor," Loki said. "I am no child. I will be well. Alone is not a situation I rarely find myself into."

Thor hated to admit it but it was true. All earthlings who spared a second glance at the diminutive god would know that Loki a party-person. Even in their childhood, Loki preferred the company of books and scroll than any actual living breathing creatures.

Tony stepped forward, cutting short the drama the brother are doing. "Hey, kiddo. I got a little parting gift for you. Hold your palm up."

Loki opened his tiny hands and the billionaire dropped what seemed like a necklace with an emerald pendant. "I don't know the rules in Warthog but you should press the stone every night just in case. If their magic shield do not block gamma signals, it'll work. I'll send you an owl snail mail if it doesn't." Tony was almost ranting now, a feat he rarely does. "It can read your fingerprint, vital signs, magic signature, and the likes. It'll keep your brother from being such a worry-wart."

The little god closed his hand on the pendant, tentatively running a finger on the green stone. No more than three seconds after, Tony's phone rang. Jarvis automatically read the message.

"Loki Laufeyson, vital signs are okay, slightly nervous, magic still present."

Thor was the one who returned the gratitude. "Thank you, Man of Iron."

"No prob, buddy." The man of iron patted Thor's back once. "It'll keep Pepper from worrying too."

At that moment, Loki turned and faced the post. He was going to study magic in a school especially built for it in Midgard. Nothing is absurd as that! He started to run as fast as his little legs could. He willed his magic to stay still in case he accidentally passes through it and not into. He half-expected himself to collide with the bricks and the impact would rattle his long dream only to wake up in a cell inside the Asgard's vault, like a stolen relic, but he didn't.

When he opened his eyes, platform 9 3/4 greeted him with a smile on its signboard.

* * *

A/N: Thank you guys for the review. Bless you all. Is it good? Is it bad? Please read and review. :)


	5. Chapter 5

True, Loki had been staying in Midgard for two years and that made him legally an eleven-year old, but he was still a frost giant. He didn't grew an inch since his exile, not even horizontally, and he won't be growing for at least forty-eight more years. It was hard to admit, as he was used to overtowering most people, but the god of mischief really is small.

Or at least smaller than most of his age group.

After placing his luggage in the proper carriage, he went straight inside the train to find an empty compartment. Lucky enough, there was one near the farthest end. He entered without further thinking, sat on the farthest corner, placed Ikol on his lap, and started fiddling with his poorly concealed necklace.

The train looked very old, the kind of train he saw in Midgardian history books that was run by people throwing coals in a furnace. But this train disn't stink of smoke like he'd initially thought. Instead, there was a faint strangely familiar pulse of magic in the atmosphere, hardly detectable. He only noticed it because he was expecting something.

Ikol purred as Loki pet it between the ears.

A soft knock disturbed Loki's moment with his cat. A pale human boy with a messy hair and a large glasses opened the door. "Can I?" He said, looking at the empty seat in front of the god.

Loki tried to smile as sincerely as he could. He wanted to point out that the right word is 'may' not 'can'. By Odin's beard, this boy had been speaking the language all his life, he can't even speak it properly. Loki nodded.

"You may." He emphasized the word 'may' for sake of the language.

The boy took the seat in front of him with a whispered, "thank you".

A minute later, the trained roared into life, waking Ikol, and moved. The silence shared by the two boys in the compartment was filled with the nondiscreet chugs coming from the train.

The magic became almost apparent now. The pulse was reacting with his own. Loki could feel the throb underneathe his skin as his own tried to adapt to its environment. He closed his eyes as he registered the energy signature. It usually take a whole asgardian day to completely etched the signature to his memory so that he may recognize the kind of magic at the first spark. But somehow, this midgardian magic took no more than a minute. It felt like, in human context, an old file , lost through time, suddenly being found and opened.

He encountered the signature before. It was a mix of vanir and jotun or so his memory tells him.

Another knock on the door. This time a red-haired boy, looking a bit distressed, was staing by the doorway. "Sorry, all of them's already full."

"No, it's okay." It was the other boy who replied.

The new person sat beside Loki. "Hi! My name's Ron Weasley." He offered both of his hands, ro which the other boy took and Loki didn't.

"Harry Potter." The other boy said as he and Ron shook hands.

Ron's eyes widened and so did his mouth. "You're the Harry Potter?"

Harry Potter only nodded, a smile, bordering in smug, on his face.

The red-haired made some kind of gesture on his forehead. "So you've got the...?"

Harry swiped his bangs back with his hand, revealing a lightning scar. Ron was clearly entertained, voice boomed with glee at how 'wicked' it was. It was only then when Ikol hissed at him and his rat did he shut his trap up.

"What was your name again?" Ron asked. The god was starting to hate him.

"Loki," he said quietly, then louder. "Loki Laufeyson."

Ron's eyebrows curled. "Laufeyson? I never heard that name before. Are you muggle-born?"

Muggle-born? Seriously? He was a god, for Heaven's sake! But he decided now was not the time to tell the magical midgardians that. So he just shrugged. "I never met my real parents."

Ron suddenly looked very sad.

"I didn't meet them too," Harry said. "I grew up with my relatives."

"I grew up with-" Loki stopped. What could he say? He grew up with foster parents? With his uncles and aunts? With lies? With no one? "I grew up with uhm-"

"Sweets, honey?" An old lady pushing a cart full of a sweets and candies strollwed by and stopped at their door.

Ron grimaced. He hold up a squashed sandwiche from his pocket. "I'm good."

The old lady looked hopefully at Harry. The boy smiled and took a few gold coins from his pocket. Both Ron's and the old lady's smiles grew a few molars widers.

"Wicked!"

"One of everything please," Harry said.

Loki wasn't allowed to eat a lot of sweets but Pepper wasn't present to scold him. She wouldn't know. The god brought out a few coins as well. "Make that three of everything, please."

Half an hour later, the remaining empty seats were cluttered with candy wrappers and still-closed candies. They tried openning a trinket called the chocolate frog. Only Ron managed to catch his, devouring the frog head first, while the other boya' jumped right out of the window.

"You should be careful, Loki," Ron said through a mouthful of food. "There are a lot of wizards and witches who hate mudbloods."

Loki just nodded. He knew that.

"Which house do you wanna be in?"

Harry was first to answer. "I don't know. Any house is fine."

"Slytherins are mean." Ron wagged a finger caked with dried chocolate.

Such prejudice, they exist no matter which realm Loki landed on. He decided it was good for all passengers to change the conversation. "Have you tried doing some magic before?"

"I accidentally release a snake in a cage a few months ago!" Harry replied, horrified. "I didn't actually mean it."

"Oh, oh! My brother taught me something." The red-hair drew his wand with a quiet swoosh from somewhere and aimed it at his rat.

But before Ron could do anything, the door banged open to reveal a girl, eyebrows raised. "Have you seen a toad?"

The boys shook their heads.

"I see you're casting a spell." The girl folded her arms across her chest. She entered the compartment and sat beside Potter."Let's see then."

Loki expectantly watched Rom utter strange words that meant absolutely nothing and flicked the wood over the animal.

Nothing happened.

Of course.

"You do know that's not an actual spell." The girl said, matter-of-factly. She seemed very arrogant. Loki hated her immediately. "For example." The girl aimed her wand at Harry's face and flicked. "Oculus Reparo"

There was smoke and a pop. Potter's glasses was suddenly good as new.

"Wow. Thanks." Harry blinked.

Loki wasn't impressed. For an arrogant mortal girl, that was the best she could do. Loki could teleport at midgardian-age 8. By age eleven, he was flying the asgardian skies as a magpie on a daily basis. All she did was fix Harry's broken glasses and render the tape wrapped around th nose bridge useless. Child's play.

Ron offered his hand again, an action Loki found really annoying. "Ronald Weasley."

The girl didn't take it. "Hermione Granger."

"Harry Potter."

"Loki Laufeyson."

"Loki?" Hermione jumped, startled. Her bushy wild locks bounced with her. "You have the same name as the one who almost conquered New York!"

Recognization seemed to flash on Harry's face. "I remember something like that."

So, that little escapade reached as far as Europe. The god was grinning at the back of his mind. He was famous in an evil way. That is interesting.

"I'm glad he didn't win," Hermione continued. "It was bad enough with you-know-who. Earth is not big enough to house two god of chaos at the same time."

The girl was right on one account and wrong on the other, Loki thought. First, Earth is very small, just a baby acorn in comparison to the tree to which it hung. Incorrect about the other account because there is only one Lord of Chaos being housed by Midgard and he is not Voldemort.

"Wouldn't it be interesting to know who would win if they fought?" Ron seemed a little lost about the whole conversation but he still presented a very good idea. "A muggle or a wizard."

"Oh, Loki isn't a muggle." The god was letting Ikol nuzzle his chin now. "He's a god." Fallen, perhaps, a god nonetheless.

"I wonder what happened to him?" Harry asked, opening a new packet of sweets to try now.

Loki smiled. "He's being taken care of."

"I wish You-Know-Who is being taken cared of too," mused the boy who lived. He sighed and slumped back down his seat.

The god scoffed. "I find it preposterous how you mortals would not speak of a name out of sheer fear."

"Mortals?" asked the most rational of the not-so-golden-yet trio.

Loki was spared of more explanation when the poor door was banged for the second time that day. A boy with a platinum blond crown stodd in front of two other less elegant fellows. The god raised one challenging brow. "No, we have not seen a toad, in case you're wondering."

"I am not looking for a toad." The boy inspected the passengers of the compartment, chin and nose high up in the air. "Red hair, hand-me-down robes. You must be a Weasley."

Ron's eyebrows almost met as he glared, insulted.

"And you must be Harry Potter," he turned to the in question. "My name is Draco Malfoy. These people are not for you. I suggest you come to my company."

"I think I'm good, " Harry replied shyly.

Malfoy turned to the other occupants. "Muggles, I see."

Loki was not particularly offended. He wasn't a muggle although he understood how it must have felt to be born of a race uncommon to the general public. But at least muggles weren't generally despised unlike his sire. He was the only full Jotunn in all Asgard, feared, loathed.

An outcast. A monster.

"Please, if you would disgrace our merry conversation with your arrogance." Loki gave the blond a wide smirk that was also, for anyone who knes better, a warning sign. "The door is wide open, leave and close it as you do."

A long pregnant pause followed that. Hermione, Ron, and Harry were mentally applauding Loki for his bravado and Draco was mentally killing Loki for his bravado. The littke god, on the other hand, was just there, confused by the sudden silence.

Ikol purred on Loki's lap and stretched its chubby limbs.

Draco was gone in a second; door closed.

Hermione was up at well. "Well, gentlemen, if you would excuse me. We'll be arriving soon."

The soon became sooner and Loki just found himself riding a boat towards a large gothic palace.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to all those who reviewed! Is it good? Is it bad? Please read and review :)


	6. The Sorting

The first year students were asked to wait by a large double gate.

The great hall, of stone walls and glass windows, loomed over the first year students as the door dramatically opened. Hundreds of lit candles hovered over four long tables. One for each houses, Loki assumed. He silently wondered how all the students fit, if even magic was behind. It looked like the Alfather's throne room twice battered.

"The ceiling is not real, you know," the girl with the curliest of hair, Hermione, Loki had ever seen said. "I've read it in a book."

Oh, by Odin's beard. It would do wonders for Loki's temper if the girl would learn how to keep her silence.

The students filed in two lines towards another long table on front, where teachers and important staff sat. In front of them was a small tool and grungy old pointy hat. It was almost comical to Loki, because so far these humans had been fitting into all wizard stereotype the muggles gladly procured for them.

Professor Dumbledore, who looked like that grey wizard in that movie with rings, stood. His voice boomed over the expanse of the hall even without the use of a microphone. "The dark forest is strictly forbidden to all student," said he. "The third floor corridor is also out of bounds to anyone who doesn't wish to die a most painful death."

Loki tried not to roll his eyes. Whatever lay in the third floor corridor, he needed not concern himself. He's a god, after all. Unless of course these humans hid a bilgesnipe. That would be a different matter entirely, and Thor must be notified at once.

A slit opened up from the hat, acting as its mouth. And before Loki could react, it broke into an odd song of a voice uglier than a drunk Steve singing.

 _Oh, you may not think I'm pretty_

 _But don't judge on what you see,_

 _I'll eat myself if you can find_

 _A smarter hat than me._

It wasn't a lovely song. Not even smart. Jarvis can make a better poem than that, and he's not even bewitched.

Professor McGonagall began the roll call. "Abbott, Hannah."

A girl stepped up and sat on the stool. The professor dropped the hat on her head. The creases and the slit that made up the Sorting Hat's face contorted as it pondered. It was talking to this Abbott Hannah, in her mind maybe, but Loki nor anyone could hear the hat.

Until finally, it yelled. "Hufflepuff!"

This whole ceremony that would exhaust a hundred first years probably got a little boring for the seventh years. The second on the list hadn't even been called up and Loki was already bored. It would take a while before Laufeyson was called.

And then Granger was called. She talked to calm herself on the way up the platform.

Loki thought about each houses, though he didn't particularly mind what color he'll wear for the next seven years. He was sure about 50% plus one that he'll be sent to Ravenclaw, for intellect. He was a genius, both in Asgard and more so in Midgard. He didn't know however what kind of intelligence one must possess to be in Ravenclaw.

"Gryffindor!"

And then, there's the house of Ironman and Thor, of gold and red, Gryffindor. Personally, he didn't want to be housemates with Granger, or he might shut her up _accidentally_.

Hufflepuff. He didn't even consider it.

Lastly, there was the house of the cunning, Slytherin. His color, really.

A painful flashback of things he rather not remember passed through his mind. The sorting hat seemed to know everything about each person. That would not do for Loki kept a lot of things. The idea of someone or something intruding his mind without his consent was enough to petrify him. If that hat spoke to anyone of his deeds back in New York years ago… well.

Loki would have to burn it.

"Laufeyson, Loki," Professor McGonagall called.

A collection of gasp from the audience echoed through the hall. A hushed mutter followed. Obviously, these human heard the name Loki before. He grinned inwardly. They ought to fear him. He's a god and he would obliterate all that impedes his way towards becoming a law-abiding, tax-contributing citizen of Midgard. Pepper would be proud of him.

He frowned when he heard one of the first years giggle. "I heard he's from New York."

Ah! So it wasn't fear. Loki didn't know want to entertain the idea that the girls were actually eyeing him like a predator at its prey, like how Tony eyed Bruce that one time in the lab..

" _Hmmm_ ," a voice droned in his head. Loki could see the muggle-borns' attention concentrated on him, with the look of terror and something else plastered on their faces. He tried to smile innocently. Better not make enemies this early on. " _What's that around your neck?"_

Except for Malfoy and Granger. He didn't mind them.

"Nothing," said Loki as he unconsciously played with the pendant through his robe.

" _Interesting. I've never met a creature older than I,_ " the hat continued. " _You have a long tale to tell, I see. One of power, deceit, and… lies_."

Loki frowned deeper. He didn't want to go over this subject again.

" _Such wisdom you carry on your shoulders, and intelligence, yes. Though not enough to run a kingdom of your own. You are young for your race, younger even for ours_."

Loki whispered, "You are no human."

" _Aye_." The hat laughed, as much as it can through Loki's mind. " _Stay silent or they'll hear you,_ human _. Ravenclaw is not for you, I'm afraid, my dear. It is not knowledge you truly seek. Even so you would find Hogwarts teaching you a whole of things. Things you would rather not learn, and you will regret coming here_."

"Can you see the future?" Loki asked, already getting bored of this nonsense.

" _Silence_ ," said the hat. " _There are bravery and loyalty in your heart, for people you consider friends. But you will not benefit from Gryffindor… Hufflepufff. Hah! Of course not_. _And although you are kind and considerate to an extent, ruthlessness is, nevertheless, in your nature. Hufflepuff will vomit you back out._ "

Loki noticed that the attention was no longer on him. The audience grew bored as well.

" _There is a darkness in you_."

"You are wrong. I am the darkness. I am death." He watched that movie with the dragon and the dwarves as per Tony's insistence. It was awesome, though a bit in the coo-coo side of sanity.

" _And yet, you do nothing to dispel it. This cunning, this silver-tongue will both be your weapon and your undoing. You will be a great gift for the boy who lived, though I sincerely hope you continue to forget some memories. Welcome home, Mr. Loki Laufeyson. Stand tall and proud."_

The hat announced and the crowd on the table at the far end cheered. "Slytherin!"

" _Be careful of the other voice in your head, your grace."_

It was a little past dinner, Tony had already locked himself away from the world and into his small haven in the upper basement. He and Steve had taken a three month worth of day off from avenging the Earth from evil creatures, unless they were called untimely for an emergency.

It had only been 8 hours and 17 minutes since they saw Loki run through a wall at King's Cross. 7 hours since they had the healthiest lunch Tony had even eaten in his life. 6 hours since Thor left to visit Jane. And 5 hours since Tony began worrying.

Loki brought no other form of security except for his magic and the pendant, both of which remained untouched. It can only mean two things; one, Loki is safe, and two, Loki is already dead. Tony silently prayed to all the gods loyal still to their little god of mischief that he's alive and well only so Thor would not wreak havoc on Earth.

He started to dabble in magic, just so it would take his mind away from worrying. Steve promptly gave him his pile of magical newspapers that could print .GIFs before he scurried away to some corner in the mansion. The newspapers were, at least he thought, the least magical objects they have lying around the house. It should be the easiest to tamper with.

Loki had always said that magic was like an advance form of science, a different kind of energy not measured by e=mc2. Tony wanted to harness it. He knew he could build something that could harness magic. That might make Earth very, very powerful.

That might make him very, very powerful. Maybe powerful enough to win at least one of their prank wars.

"Jarvis, eat and read these for me." He said as he took a bite of the burrito he stole from the kitchen. He shoved the newspapers down an open glass tube atop a white machine. It closed and glowed when Tony pressed a button on the air.

Another hologram windows appeared beside him. It displayed a loading bar and a .gif of dumb-e sweeping the floor. Judging from the speed of the number increase, this would take a while.

In under two minutes of watching the loading screen, Tony got bored.

He was about to start an internet scandal to distract himself when a small dialog box popped up on his window screen. A high-pitched _ding!_ rang from his surround sound. Tony's eyes dilated in shock.

ALERT FROM LOKI LAUFEYSON!

There were accept and decline buttons below the message. Tony ignored the alert for a while and looked at the nearest speaker where Jarvis rest in silence.

"Jarv, be a dear and call the capt. down here," Tony said to no one in particular. He drummed his fingers on the table as he waited.

Just half a minute later, Steve came in from the door jogging. "I'm surprised your door isn't locked."

Tony ignored him. He didn't even turn to recognize his presence. Instead, he clicked the blaring green button. "Listen."

"You are wrong," the speaker said in Loki's miniscule voice, "I am the darkness. I am death."

It was only then that Tony swirled his computer chair to face an astonished Steve.

"You did not!" Steve cried as if offended.

Tony didn't know what he did but he nodded anyway. "Don't tell Pepper."

"You made Loki watch The Hobbit movie!?"

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! Is it good? Is it bad? Please read and review.

Warning: We divert from canon after this.


	7. Half a Giant

His first class was Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. Loki came to class, with Theodore Nott following in his footsteps, early. It wouldn't do to be late on the first day. Loki was not as oafish as Thor when the god of thunder was younger.

He sat on the front row, Nott beside him, and stared at the cat perched on the teacher's table. Students from Slytherin and Hufflepuff filed in moments later. The cat jumped and, aptly enough for the subject, transformed into the professor,

There was a collection of gasps, as if most of these students didn't grow up from a wizarding family. Loki rolled his eyes. It didn't take a genius to know that the cat was McGonagall.

The teacher gave them a thin, short stick of steel. They were tasked to transform metal into string for the duration of the session without as much as a lecture. Loki turned to Nott who was waving his wand about, hopelessly. Draco was doing the same thing as Nott with a little spell whispering.

The god glared down at his stick. There was no way in Odin's mighty beard could he transform this thing into something else without suing his Jotunn - _Jotunn!_ \- Magic. But Loki did try to wave his wand like all the others. The stick jiggled a bit before collapsing back onto his desk.

One end was sharpened while a hole appeared on the other. A needle. Loki raised an eyebrow. It was something.

Nott stared at him like he had done something out of this world.

"How did you do that?" Nott whispered. His stick hadn't even moved a centimeter from where McGonagall placed it.

Loki grinned. "Magic."

As if to prove himself further, Loki took it upon himself to transform the needle into a piece of string, of the same thickness, of the same size.

Nott's eyeglasses almost fell from his face.

"Mr. Laufeyson has done it," said the teacher, "five points to Slytherin."

There were some angry muttering from the background. Loki even heard Malfoy grumbled a small "muggles." Loki ignored all of them and tucked his wand down the pockets of his robes. He wasn't here to learn. He came to Hogwarts to subdue this dark lord and reclaim his title,

The voice in his head laughed.

If this was Loki's p-p-punishment, the god would rather choose a quick death.

He was looking forward to Defense against the Dark Arts all summer. So imagine his disappointment when a whimpering wimp came to class telling them huge s-s-spiders littered the forbidden forest and that d-d-dragon's fire are dangerous. Loki began doodling a simple schematics of Ironman's dashboard UI three minutes after Professor T-T-Turban opened his mouth.

Loki swallowed all urges to take his turban off from his seat. If it wasn't the man's tradition to wear exotic headdresses or if it was all for fashion, Loki would've exposed that bald head just for laughs. But Ms. Potts wouldn't appreciate being called in the headmaster's office for misconduct on the first day.

Odin might even revoke his freedom.

So, Loki kept his chill and tuned out the voice of the teacher and the sickening feel of a different kind of magic radiating from the room. It must've been just one of the stronger charms Dumbledore casted around the school for protection.

 _He is here. Your time is up, son of Laufey._

If Loki was not a child right now, he would have applied for the post and give these children the lesson of a lifetime.

The annoyance that came with DADA dissipated in the next class. Potion with the head of Slytherin was proving to be the best subject yet. It was science, almost like alchemy and chemistry. Or baking, as Ms. Potts said; baking was definitely science, too.

Unfortunately for one Harry Potter, the onset of the subject didn't go as well for him. Professor Snape threw him questions one after the other. Most of them were not even in the first year's curriculum. Ms. Granger, on the other hand, should learn how to keep from bouncing off her seat. She raised her hands eagerly for all the question as if to prove to everybody that she's the smartest student that ever graced the halls of Hogwarts.

Loki smiled inwardly. Well…

Their first activity was done in pairs. Theodore Nott volunteered himself to be paired with Loki, much of course to the god's (*?*) that he was relieved of finding a willing partner. Professor Snape told them to make a common antidote for a certain type of snake venom. It had a few ingredient and simple ingredients. It wasn't surprising at all that Loki and Nott were the first to finish.

"Ten points each to Slytherin," was all Professor Snape said before he slumped back down on his chair.

Before the class had ended, Granger's pair and Malfoy's were the only ones who completed a potion decent enough to pass.

Loki knew, since he turned five, that magic was like an orchestra and the user was the conductor. The conductor instructs the song, the rhythm, and volume of magic and the orchestra produces the symphony. Loki also knew that the magic had to be in tune with the user, not the other way around.

Now, if Professor Flitwick had discussed magic theory this way, there would be less babbling buffoons in Charms class.

"Swish and flick!" The professor repeated for the fifth time in half an hour. Nobody seemed to get it that the pronunciation of the words had to beat with the wand like a baton.

Malfoy was flicking his wand like a madman. Nott, who was again sitting beside him, was waving his hands too little. Zabini, who sat beside Nott, was reduced to toying with the feather. Loki decided that he was in the company of oafs.

He placed a gentle hand on Nott's to stop him from potentially damaging his wand. "Please, you have to be more careful."

Nott's eyebrows jumped in surprised. Loki realized it was the first time he spoke to the poor boy.

Zabini peeked over to Loki. "You try it."

Loki did. He flicked his wand and uttered the spell, "Wingardium Leviosa."

It was a different source of magic he's using but he didn't care. Loki made his feather levitate along with all the others.

Professor Flitwick was jumping in glee.

Slytherin earned another ten points and half a grin.

* * *

Jarvis pinged at 4 in the morning. Tony, who had been tinkering with Mark 42's titanium glove, stopped to whirl his chair in the direction of the screen. It took Jarvis almost nine hours, with four restarts and a hundred more errors, to complete the scan of a newspaper.

Tony was already half-way drunk and full on cranky.

He punched in a code on a hologram keypad, a password of sorts. Jarvis listed all the errors found and they scrolled down infinitely. If the computer could sigh, he would be. But he'd learn enough to respect Tony's attitude in the wee hours of the morning.

"What'd you find, buddy?" Tony asked and chugged the remains of his fifth wine bottle. He dropped it on the floor. The bottle rolled to who knows where but that was Tony's least problem. Dumb-e would clean it later

After all his restarts, the scanner always came up with the same result; the result Tony didn't want to accept. Because human magic was supposed to be different. They were a different species entirely, after all. Pure magical energy wasn't even supposed to be possible for a mortal race.

"All the same, sir," Jarvis said.

The hologram screen that gave off a dimmed blue light displayed the words:

SIMILAR PATTERN FOUND

JOTUNN (32%)

ASGARD (68%)

Anthony Stark grabbed the newspaper from the glass tube, threw it in his electronic fireplace, and left the room. All out of frustration. Human magic couldn't be the same as Loki's magic. That would be as if saying that Loki was human.

Tony will have to cage that damn Owleye in the glass tube next.

He didn't see the headlines of July 31 disintegrate into green and gold sparkles.

* * *

A/N: Sorry it's a filler chapter. Does anyone remember what happened on July 31st? Plot will resume next chapter. Ha ha. Please read and review.


	8. Chapter 8

Loki never thought his first day in Hogwarts would ever go bad. And so imagine his surprise when he was swiped off his imaginary wizard valedictorian throne during Herbology. There is art and science in magic, calculated precision with a dash of imagination. He expected Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures to be all the same. Never was he so wrong.

Loki loved all things beautiful. He loved flowers and animals back in Asgard. Oh Hel, he gave birth to monsters and still all his children were beautiful. But, that was all in Asgard, where the Odin's halls had gardeners and caretakers, where he could play with Sleipnir in a controlled environment, where all plant were trimmed to shapes.

Madame Pomfrey led down into a large greenhouse where all kinds of Midgardian plants bloom. Some he recognized originated from other realms; like the glittering flowers from Alfheim and the snapping plants from the land of dwarves.

Although, the plants shared one thing in common. They were not beautiful.

By the end of the class, Loki's skin was moist with sweat from the blare of sunlight barely (*verb*) by the roof. He was not used to this kind of menial labor. His soft hands and manicured nails now blackened by dirt and soil. Grime sullied his robes. If Ms. Potts ever heard about this, she would withdrew Loki immediately.

Loki was a god. Loki did not pull crying plants from one pot only to put them into another.

Malfoy was as unamused. His father would surely hear about this.

Loki never flew. It was Thor's thing. The little god preferred both his feet planted on something solid as much as possible, like the backside of Ironman's armor, thank you very much.

Unfortunately, Professor Hooch did not prefer so, neither would she consider trying Ironman.

First year students from Slytherin and Gryffindor formed two lines, each with a resting broom beside them. Loki eyed his broom suspiciously. It looked rather uncomfortable. He doubted it could even clean.

"On my whistle, say up." The professor marched in the middle of the lines, a silver whistle on hand.

Loki wondered how up was such a generic word to say. _Accio_ sounded cooler. Yes, he read about it already.

The professor blew her whistle.

There was a collection of up's. Harry Potter's broom shot up to his hand almost immediately. Draco Malfoy took a while. Theodore Nott, who was standing beside him, watched the god expectantly.

"Why are you waiting for me?" Loki asked, genuinely confused. The boy had been following him all day. Loki didn't know if he was to be flattered or crept out.

"I'm not sure." The boy said, truthfully, then brushed a loose hair strand. "There's just something."

Loki didn't speak.

"Well, go on then. After you."

Loki shrugged. He reached a hand out. The broom shot up without him even saying an audible word. The god frowned. He'd been using his own magic since the first day of classes. There were no traces of Midgardian magic in his system. Thus, it bugged the edges of his mind just how and why these humans invited him to their school.

Zabini, who watched Loki beside Nott, clapped his hands in mock awe. Loki shot him a glare, to which the human returned a sly grin.

Nott summoned the broom towards him in a soft 'up!' Zabini did so, as well.

Professor Hooch whistled again to gather their attention. She stopped walking in the middle of the two lines. "Ride your brooms, please."

The students did, Loki a little hesitantly. He stomped a foot over the long thin wood and sighed. There was no way in Helheim could riding a broomstick be safe and comfortable for distant travelling. If he could somehow produce a saddle to sit upon, this subject would be a lot less of a hassle.

Flying. Flying so callously was useless. The curriculum could have just taught the students how to transform themselves in birds so that they fly with more ease and stealth.

… _Or summon my army upon England and end this nonsense._

Malfoy didn't share the god's thoughts. In fact, he was smirking wildly and arrogantly over Loki's look of disgust.

"On 3," the teacher continued, "I want you to kick your feet off the ground carefully."

Loki felt the rush of magic not coming from him before he saw it.

"1..."

The force was premature, uncontrolled. Loki looked frantically for the source, alarmed at the sudden surge.

"2…"

Longbottom kicked off the ground, just as the teacher had instructed though a second too early.

The god grunted and rolled his eyes. The boy possessed a large amount of energy that his rather weak body could not control. Loki thought to help, but for his own lay-low tactic it would not do. He would let the teacher take control; that's what teachers were supposed to do in any realm, right?

The other students gasped and screamed. Most muggles were shaking in panic, except for Hermione looked like he could kill the snickering Malfoy with the glare she was sending his way. The Slytherin didn't even noticed, too entertained with Longbottom.

The teacher, for the love of Odin's beard, merely pointed a wand and screamed for Longbottom to get down, as if that would do anything to help the poor student.

Longbottom wobbled on his broom as he rose higher, higher now to reach with arms. Loki caught himself clutching his hand tightly, before he sighed and let go.

 _You will not do it_.

The broom went haywire. It skyrocketed to the wall, slamming itself repeatedly. It swooped down the gates, into the hallway, out towards the children, and across the towers. The poor child could not even control it.

The hem of Longbottom's robe hooked against the spear of an unsuspecting knight as the broom swept past the statue. The Gryffindor stayed there. The broom, however, was never found again.

"Uh oh," someone muttered from their crowd of students.

Longbottom flopped towards the ground. The teacher hurriedly dashed past the student towards the child's side. She commanded a few instructions before they headed towards the school clinic.

Loki shook his head. What a bunch of idiots.

On the ground near Longbottom's spot of demise lay a transparent ball. Malfoy picked it up. Potter saw it. What came after was so ridiculous Loki would rather be incarcerated into the depths of Asgard's dungeons than watch both humans chase one another for a plaything.

"It's Longbottom's Remembrall," a student said.

"Give it back, Malfoy!" Harry Potter said, voice laced with an authority so surprising Loki had to mentally clap.

Malfoy smirked at him. It didn't take a genius to know what he was planning to do. The Slytherin hopped onto his broom and off the ground. "Make me."

Potter rode his broom.

"What an idiot." Loki heard Granger say. For once, Loki had to agree with her.

"Malfoy!" Loki said before he could stop himself. "Get back down here."

It wasn't the most eloquent of words but it should do for these bunch of tiny Midgardians. Of course, Loki didn't expect Malfoy to just get back down. However, Loki was not ready to lose all though fifty or so points he's earned in class to a poorly thought out, unplanned prank.

"Or what?" Malfoy challenged him.

Loki fished his wand out of his robes and aimed it at Malfoy. The god gave him a demonic grin, eyes glaring and teeth showing, like a lion to a deer. "I will not allow you to endanger our house point for a prank on a Gryffindor."

It made Malfoy falter a little, but he snarled at him. Loki was relieved Malfoy considered his opinion. He came down and trudged towards Loki.

Malfoy raised his chin and looked down upon the god. He was about to say something, but Loki cut him in.

"You'll tell your father about this?" Loki said in unashamed mockery, an eyebrow raised. He stretched an open palm towards Malfoy. "The toy, please."

But, instead of dropping the ball on Loki's hand like the good human the god expected him to be, Malfoy threw the Remembrall far towards one of the towers' window.

Potter, in his self-righteousness, sped towards the ball before it hit the glass. Loki, in a feat of alarm, spewed a random spell from his lips. The ball slowed. Potter was able to catch it just in time.

Loki released a long string of ancient curses. He didn't mean to do that. Potter should have just slammed into the window and died. End of story.

Potter landed down a victor. Gryffindor students, except for Granger, flocked towards him.

Nott frowned at him.

Zabini gasped. "What did you do?"

"Uhm… magic?" Loki shrugged, and then he said "duh?" for good measure.

"Arresto Momentum," Granger whispered beside him, "that's a very advance spell. Where did you learn that?"

Loki didn't care what the spell was called. He breathed over it with his own tongue, the sorcerer's tongue. He decided that if the evil overlord didn't appear during his time in this school, then he would at least show these sorry lot the magic of the most powerful wizard in the Nine Realms.

"Obviously not from my parents." It was all he said before Loki looked on forwards, towards Professor McGonagall who was calling out to Harry Potter, towards Professor Hooch who just arrived to finish the class, and towards Professor Snape who was beckoning the god to come with him.

"Loki Laufeyson?" Snape said from the foyer, "Come with me."

The tiny god jogged towards his teacher and into the mystery that was Hogwarts.

A/N: Sorry it took too long to update. I've been busy with school. Is it good? Is it bad? Please read and review.


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